New Study Shows Hospital Infections Still Too Frequent

Published on March 18, 2016

Health Care-Associated Infections is the first report in a series of five in-depth reports analyzing current healthcare safety trends in the U.S. Released March 17 during Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 13-19), this new HAI report shows that hospitals are making strides in avoiding central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). However, the new HAI report also shows that patients are still experiencing these serious, and sometimes fatal, infections too frequently.

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Findings

The Leapfrog Group, an organization representing consumers, employers and other purchasers aiming to improve health care safety and quality, collected infection data for the report. They surveyed more than 1,500 U.S. hospitals. Key findings in the new HAIR report include:

-Seventy-five percent of hospitals had too many central line infections. Only twenty-five percent of hospitals met The Leapfrog Group’s target standardized infection rate (SIR) of zero for CLABSI
-Only twenty-five percent of hospitals met Leapfrog’s urinary tract infection standard
-Infection rates vary by state, choice of hospital, metropolitan area, and within communities
-The percentage of hospitals reporting a CLABSI rate of zero has steadily increased from 18.8 percent in 2013 to 25 percent in 2015
-Three quarters of hospitals nationwide do not meet Leapfrog’s standards
-Infection rates are declining, but more transparency and quality improvements are needed

Urinary tract and blood stream infections are among the five most common infection sites for healthcare associated infections (HAIs). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that an estimated 722,000 patients end up with HAIs every year.

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